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New Jersey students perform better in math than Russian students, but not nearly as well as those in Singapore.

A new international grading system, released Tuesday by the American Institute for Research, compares student math performance in a way that allows states to see how they compare with other countries around the world.

The news is pretty good for New Jersey, which earned a B for its fourth-grade results and a C-plus for eighth grade and scored above the U.S. averages.

The United States as a whole earned a C-plus in the fourth-grade listing and a C in the eighth-grade ranking.

Nationally, only six states, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Kansas and Vermont earned a B in fourth-grade math. Only Massachusetts got a B in eighth-grade math.

The top-ranked international entities include Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, which all earned at least a B-minus. No country earned an A.

The Institute used results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP, given in the United States, and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS, to statistically develop its system. Grades four and eight were chosen because the entire population of students is generally tested at those levels, making the comparisons more fair.

Gary Phillips, vice president and chief scientist at AIR said the goal of the system is to give individual states data on how their students are performing on an international scale using a method that does not require additional testing or costs. The AIR chose "B" as the benchmarking score because it is equivalent to what No Child Left Behind expects of students.

"It's to provide a baseline so states can see how they stack up," he said. He said the top Asian nations are substantially far ahead, and that should be a great concern. The report said the average C-plus performance of American students is at best mediocre.

"The difference between the U.S. and the highest-achieving countries is a huge gap," he said. He said New Jersey appears to be ahead of the pack in boosting academic standards.

Making New Jersey competitive in a global economy has become a mantra of both New Jersey Education Commissioner Lucille Davy and Gov. Jon S. Corzine. The state is a member of the American Diploma Project and recently joined an effort to create a set of national education standards.

The state Board of Education is scheduled to vote today on new high school graduation requirements that will require all students to take algebra I, geometry and a third year of math that builds on the previous classes. The state is also working to provide a better math base in elementary and middle school.

New Jersey Department of Education spokesman Richard Vespucci said officials are pleased that the system affirms New Jersey's ongoing efforts to be internationally competitive.

"It reflects the work already being done," he said.

Phillips said he wanted the system presented in a simple enough way that everyone can understand the results and their implications.

"The highest achieving countries are so far ahead of us we will never catch up if we run at the current pace," Phillips said. "Our states and school districts should no longer be comparing themselves to their neighbors. They will be competing for jobs and innovations with students around the globe."

He said of equal concern is the failing performance of the lowest-performing countries, which include Algeria, Colombia, Egypt, Kuwait and El Salvador.

"In many countries, the average student is not learning much mathematics," Phillips said.

The complete report and state-by-state comparisons are online at

www.air.org

E-mail Diane D'Amico:

DDamico@pressofac.com

3 comments:

• amberi (13) posts 11:38 am

  This basically says that New Jersey students are doing pretty good, especially at 4th grade math, but as is well-known statistically, math scores begin to fall as students head into middle and high school. We're never going to be more internationally competitive until it becomes a priority at the national level. Right now, each state does their own thing. Once we start acting as a country and are united in our educational goals, we will become much more competitive on a global scale. My prediction is that Obama more than any other President will be leading the way to have higher national educational standards. What you call "socialism" I call "excellence for the country" just a difference of opinion. Wait and watch in 4 years, then we'll have the read verdict.

• Michael_Barrow (196) posts 9:52 am

  I wonder where they rank in 'texting'? What else do you expect from the lenient generation of parents that put socialists in office at the state level AND the country? WHY GET AHEAD WHEN YOU CAN GET A HAND OUT?

• Up_To_Here (98) posts 12:18 am

  This is not surprising. We pay the highest taxes in the country for schools, and what do we get, average students, at best. What a disgrace. What a waste of money.

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